Kisumu Launches Biashara Centre

By Maxwel Otieno from kisumu.go.ke

Kisumu County launched Biashara Centre located at the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI), in Kibos Kisumu East-Subcounty

The center which is the 4th to be launched after Kwale, Mombasa and Nairobi, was officially opened by CS Betty Maina of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development. The CS lauded the initiative and called upon the residents of Kisumu to embrace the center to grow their business.

The CS was flanked by Kisumu County Chief Officer for Business and Enterprise Development Mr. Alphonce Ouya who commended the efforts by the national government for establishing the center that will bring services closer to the people. Mr. Ouya further beseeched the National and County government to collaborate to support the SMEs in Kisumu County.

Biashara Centre is a one-stop-shop concept set to bring government services closer to the people as well as Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) access government services from agencies in the entrepreneurship ecosystem under one roof.

The new Biashara Centre seeks to provide essential business and trade services such as tax compliance registration, MSMEs loans, and branding registration support. The center will provide training on production, product certification, and systems accreditation. Other services to be provided at the center include promoting, regulating and developing MSMEs to boost growth in the sector.

Stanbic Bank Foundation in collaboration with the ministry of industrialization and Microsoft through the Global Skills Initiative Programme supported the initiative through donations of computers Currently, government agencies including Kenya Institute of Business Training (KIBT), Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA), Kenya Industrial Estates ( KIE), Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS are up and running.

Image: CS. Betty Maina, flanked by chief Officer for Business and Enterprise Development, Mr. Alphonce Ouya